Game apparatus.



-. wvwu Witnmoeo P. W. AML'IB.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20, 1909.

Patented June 6, 1911.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS co., wasnmcrcu, D, c.

P. W. AMLIE. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILLED APB.2 0 1909. Q

' Patented June 6, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS FE rsks ca, wurlmcron, n. c.

P. W. AMLIE.' GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1909.

Patented June 6,1911.

4 BHEET$SHBET 3.

illlllvi AIL l P. W. AMLIE.

GAME APPARATUS.

-APPLIGATION FILED APB..20, 1909.

994,629. Patented June 6, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Wi ma 1n: NDRRIS pz'rsns cc. vusumowu, n. c

IINITD AT GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1911.

Application filed April 20, 1909. Serial No. 490,993.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL W. AMLIE, citizen of the United States, residing at Binford, in the county of Griggs and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to game apparatus.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a simple and easily portable game apparatus, which can be manufactured and sold at comparatively small cost, possessing novel constructions, whereby missiles or balls may be shot from one player to the other and, alertness and skill will be required to properly place the missiles or balls to warrant the player in scoring, and to repel the placing of said missiles or balls to prevent a score from being made, the whole affording a pleasing and restful game apparatus which will develop the faculties of quickness of eye and hand.

In connection with my game apparatus I prefer to employ an indicator which will be operated by the player to successively display whatever indicia by which the players are governed in operating the different parts of the apparatus, said indicator being of novel construction and preferably carried by the game apparatus.

The invention is fully set forth hereinafter and its novel features are recited in the appended claims.

' In the accompanying drawings z-Figure 1is a plan view; Fig. 2, a bottom plan view; Fig. 3, a section on line 8-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a section on line air-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a detail of the lever for operating the indicator; Fig. 7 a detail of one of the indicator slides; and Fig. 8, a detail of one of the missile or ball impelling springs.

The entire apparatus is carried by a frame 1 which preferably has a transparent top 2, and a metal bottom 3. Beneath the top 2 is an arched plate 4 extending completely across and lengthwise of frame 1 and constituting a support for the missiles or balls. Interposed between the plate 4 and the top 2 are transverse partitions 5 which subdivide the space between said top 2 and plate a into any desired number of compartments or alleys 6 in which the missiles or balls 7 are adapted to travel, it being understood that there is but one ball to each alley and that the said alleys are entlrely separate from each other and out of communication with one another.

Loosely extending through an opening 8 in a metal plate 9 which extends from end to end of the frame 1 and covers the ends of all of said alleys, are the finger levers 10 which extend into the respective alleys and carry on their outer ends a finger piece 11 bearing suitable indicia, such as a number, as will be observed in Fig. 1. The finger levers are preferably mounted in the openings in the plate 9 by forming notches in opposite edges of the said levers into which notches project the edges of the openings in the said plate 9.

Leaf-springs 12 of the U-shape are shown in Figs. 4 and 8, which have heads 13 and 14 which prevent them from falling out of position, are free to expand in slots 15 in the bottom plate a, one of these springs being provided for each of the alleys 6, and each normally locked in compressed position, as shown in Fig. 1, by the engagement therewith of a lug 16 on the finger lever 10. On depressing the key 11, the finger lever will rise at its inner end and the lug 16 will release the spring 12 which will thereupon impel the missile or ball 7 in the alley 6.

To set any of the finger levers which have been operated, there is provided a setting bar 17 which works in slots 18 in the ends of the frame 1 and has finger grooves 19 at its ends so that it can be readily operated in a uniform manner throughout its length.

Running transversely of the partitions 5 is a rod 20 which carries the pivoted repelling levers 21, one being provided for each alley 6, said levers terminating in keys 22. The inner ends of the levers pass downwardly through slots 23 and are provided with a counterweight 24.- to hold the inner ends of said levers normally down but springs could be substituted to perform the same function.

,The keys 22 have indicia corresponding to the indicia on the keys 11.

As thus far described, the game apparatus can be played, the operation being to first set all of the springs 12 so that they will lock back of the lugs 16 with the balls 7 in position to be impelled as shown in Fig. 4.

The game is played by the use of an indicator or some device whereby the players will not know before hand what keys are to be operated. This could be accomplished by a person calling out in any desired order the indicia on the keys 11 and 22, or, an indicator could be used for that purpose. In order to make the apparatus complete and self-contained, however, I prefer to employ the indicator, disclosed more particularly in Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7. In a case or box 25 at one end of the apparatus there are located indicating slides 26 corresponding in number to the number of the levers 10, each indicating slide bearing indicia corresponding to the indicia on the keys 11 and 22. The slides 26 are placed in the box 25, out of numerical sequence, that is, whatever indicia they bear, will not run in sequence from one end of the slides to the other so that the operators will not know before hand what slide will be displayed. These indicating slides have a slot 27 as shown in Fig. 7 which is adapted to be engaged by the lifting end 28 of a lever 29 which is pivoted at- 30 to the side of the box 25 and has a suitable key 31 by which it can be operated. The part 28 projects through a slot 32 in the end of the box 25 and engages into the slot 27 of the outermost one of the indicating slides 26, the latter being spring-pressed toward the slotted end of the box by the spring actuated follower 33. The box is provided with a spring actuated door 34 which is of sufficient width to permit the lifting of but one indicating slide at a time.

The game can be played by two players who represent the attacking and repelling forces, one player having his field of operation constituted by the keys 11 and the other player having for his field of operation the keys 22. Assuming that the device is set as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the player who operates the keys 11 quickly operates the lever 29, thereby lifting the outermost indicating slide 26 up through the door 34, whereupon the number or other indicia of said slide is displayed. This indicia designates the key which is to be operated. For instance, if the number 3 is displayed, the operators as quickly as possible manipulate the keys 11 and 22 respectively which bear the number 3. If the player controlling the keys 11 is quicker than the other player, his key is released and the missile shot on to the lever 21 and wedged thereby, before the player operating the keys 22 can depress the 3 and repel the missile. A limit is set and the operators score, according to which one wins in each instance, the aggregate of the scorings determining who will achieve the limit first. After one play has been made, the indicating slide previously lifted is removed and the lever 29 is again operated to display another slide, and so on, until all of the slides have been displayed and the parts are then reset.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a game apparatus, a frame having a group of alleys, an impelling device and a repelling device for each alley, and missiles, one in each alley which are adapted to be operated by said impelling devices.

quence of operation of the devices aforesaid.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a plurality of alleys arranged side by side and having sloping bottoms, an impelling and a repelling device for each alley, the respective impelling and repelling devices being designated by corresponding indicia, and missiles, one in each alley, which are adapted to be operated by said impelling devices.

4:. In a game apparatus the combination with an alley having a convexedbottom, of an impelling device, a missile adapted to be shot by said impelling device, a repelling device for said alley having means for returning it to normal position; said repelling device being adapted in its normal position to retain the missile.

5. In a game apparatus, the combination of a frame havinga plurality of alleys arranged side by side, missiles one 'in each alley, a releasable impelling device for each alley, a repelling device for each alley, and means for simultaneously setting all of the impelling devices.

6. In a game apparatus, the combination with an alley, of an impelling device, a missile adapted to be shot by said impelling device, and a hand-operated repelling device for said alley, having means for returning it to its normal position; said repelling device being adapted in its normal position to retain the missile. v

7. In a game apparatus, the combination with an alley, of a key lever and a spring impelling device adapted to be locked thereby constituting a missile impelling device, and a hand-operated repelling device consisting of a pivoted key and means for normally keeping it in a posit-ion whereby it' will retain the missile.

8. In a game apparatus, the combination of a frame having a plurality of alleys arranged side by side, an impelling and a repelling device for each alley, indicia for designating said alleys, an indicator comprising a receptacle, indicating members bearing indicia corresponding to the indicia aforesaid, and means for displacing the indicating devices, one at a time, to display the indicia thereon.

9. In a game apparatus, the combination of a frame having a plurality of alleys, arranged side by side, an impelling and a repelling device for each alley, indicia for designating said alleys, an indicator comprising a receptacle having an opening and a closure therefor, indicating slides contained within the receptacle which bear indicia corresponding to the indicia aforesaid,

and a lever for removing the indicating slides one at a time, through the opening aforesaid.

10. In a game apparatus, a frame having alleys, an impelling and a repelling device for said alleys, the respective impelling and repelling devices being designated by corresponding indicia, and missiles adapted to be operated by said impelling devices.

11. In a game apparatus, the combination with an alley, of an impelling device, a missile adapted to be shot by said impelling device, and a repelling device for said alley with operating means and automatic setting means, and also provided with means, when in its normal position to retain the missile.

12. In a game apparatus, the combination with an alley, of a key lever and a spring impelling device adapted to be locked thereby constituting a missile impelling device, and a repelling device consisting of a pivoted key and means for keeping it in a predetermined position whereby it will retain the missile when in normal position.

13. In a game apparatus, the combination with an alley having a convexed bottom, of an impelling device, located at one side of said alley, a missile adapted to be shot by said impelling device, a repelling device located at the other side of said alley having means for returning it to normal position; said repelling device being adapted in its normal position to retain the missile. v

14. In a game apparatus, the combination of a frame having a plurality of alleys arranged side by side, missiles one in each alley, a key lever having a latch, a releasable impelling device for each alley adapted to cooperate with said latch, a repelling device for each alley, and means for simultaneously latching all of the impelling devices.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL W. AMLIE. Witnesses:

O. G. JAMESON, THEO. SMOGARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

